I need games to improve fitness

2:29pm Thursday 6th March 2008

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Mark Bower column

I'll give it my best shot if I'm wanted for the team on Saturday - but I'm sure I will be the last, last, last resort because the gaffer and Jakes want me to do a bit more before I'm ready.

The squad is a bit short of defenders at the moment but I'm just doing the best I can with my running and training to build up fitness again.

I managed to get just over an hour in for the reserves against Wolves last week and the knee felt fine.

I was blowing a bit afterwards but it's been a while since I've played and I'd not had much football before the injury.

But it was good just to get out there on the pitch and tackle people properly, which you can't really do in training. I've only been out a couple of months but you realise how much you miss all the little things associated with playing.

The frustrating thing is that there's been no game to follow up since. In my position, I just need matches under my belt to build up that momentum. Unfortunately I'm not quite there yet.

There's still a big chunk of the season left and a lot of points to be played for and I'm desperate to get involved in that and help out.

We keep shooting ourselves in the foot but, with a couple of games still in hand, who knows what can happen.

If we can string a few wins together then things can change but to do that we have to improve the ratio from win two-lose two, which seems to be the way at the minute.

Even if we can't do anything this season, we still have to finish on a high. We're still getting big crowds, people are playing for their futures and there's no way the gaffer and Jakes will let it just peter out.

I'm glad to see our fans will be allowed back in the Bradford end next season. I remember sitting in there when it first opened as the family stand in the early 1990s.

It can be a big boost to have your supporters behind both goals and hopefully that will inspire us to bang in a few more goals at that end.

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